


Worth In Gold

by FantasySwap



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Age Difference, Dom/sub, Dub-con elements, Explicit Sexual Content, Human Trafficking, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Past Rape/Non-con, Past Underage Sex, alternative universe, detective diego, not as dark as it sounds, the majority of this will be fluff I promise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-17
Updated: 2019-05-25
Packaged: 2020-01-15 17:26:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18503632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FantasySwap/pseuds/FantasySwap
Summary: “So,” Diego inhales shakily, taking another look at Klaus again. He’s still in that frozen position, still glaring daggers at exactly the same boring spot of dashboard that he was when Diego left him there. “What you’re saying is until Friday, I have to act like I own this kid? Like he’s my fucking slave?”“Essentially,” Eudora replies. “Yeah.”





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> me: k so I’m gonna write a pretty woman au  
> my brain: hahahahahahaha sure you are sweetie
> 
> Seriously though... this story won’t be as dark as the tags make it seem! Hope you enjoy :)

The hall is filthy. That’s the first thing Diego notices, how truly awful the care-taking has obviously been in the last few years. The building had looked dilapidated enough from the outside but the inside is even worse; as soon as he steps inside and the doors swing shut ominously behind him Diego is accosted by the reek of sex and piss. Someone is screaming, sobbing, and the sound echoes along the dimly lit corridor. Diego swallows.

 

“This way, please.” Diego’s accompaniment asks, oddly polite for the situation. Diego smiles thinly and follows the suited man through a side door that leads to a smaller, stuffier room. It’s empty, thankfully, so maybe Diego will have a few moments of solace to gather his thoughts and slow his beating heart.

 

“Mr Alexander thought it might be better that you meet in here, rather than in the main hall. There’s an auction going on at the moment and it would be a little crowded, a little noisy. I hope you understand.” The man offers Diego such a charming smile and his stomach turns. If he saw this man on the street he’d walk right past him and think nothing of it, he looks unassuming enough, ignorant to the extent of his depravity.

 

An auction, he thinks. More like a circus.

 

Sting operations aren’t Diego’s thing, usually. He’s never wanted to go undercover and rub shoulders with a bunch of despicable criminals, even if it is proven to yield good results, and it doesn’t help that anxiety at being caught is making his palms sweat. He doesn’t want to think about what would have happened had he not left his knives at home when he was searched at the door.

 

But when Eudora requested him on this case, he couldn’t say no. They’d been after this asshole - Alexander, he was called - for years. Not only was he wanted for charges of rape and kidnapping, but now he was supposedly the ring leader of the biggest underground human trafficking ring the NYPD had seen in decades.

 

There was no way Diego could say no. But now? Enclosed in a room only a few metres away from the main auction hall, Diego is having second thoughts. God, he wishes he had his gun with him so he could shoot this monster through the head, shoot as many of them as he could and lead all the poor souls they’d taken to safety.

 

He has to be patient, he knows. He has a meeting scheduled with Alexander in approximately five minutes and if he can keep his cool for long enough he can find out the location of their next auction, he can get enough evidence on him to put the asshole and many of his cohorts away for a very long time. He won’t do anyone any good by reacting too soon and getting him killed.

 

Or worse, sold.

 

So he smiles at his guide, and says, “No problem at all. Take your time.”

 

The man leaves Diego alone and he exhales slowly through his teeth, letting out tension he hadn’t even realised he was holding in. His fingers twitch with the desire to pull out his phone, call Eudora and beg her to get him the fuck out of here. Diego doesn’t scare easy, but this is a whole different kind of situation: this, for him, is a never before seen horror of human cruelty, and it makes Diego sick to his stomach.

 

In the end it’s a good thing he doesn’t get his phone out because in less than two minutes the door is opening again, and this time it isn’t his overly polite guide that enters. It isn’t Alexander either, which is a real bummer. No, the man who comes in is tall and older, with a bald head and a finely groomed goatee. He has a leash wrapped around the flat of his hand, and when Diego follows it with his eyes it leads to another man who trails in behind this new one.

 

He’s younger, Diego notes, a lot younger, and the leash is attached to a thick black collar sitting heavy around his neck. Other than that he’s wearing a pair of thin, tatty boxers and nothing else; he’s far too skinny and Diego can see his ribs through the skin stretching over his torso. He’s littered with bruises and the occasional scar, but Diego can’t help admiring him all the same. He might just be the most beautiful thing Diego has ever seen, with big, round, dark eyes and heavy eyelashes, curly hair that cascades down to his chin and a sharp angle to his jaw. His legs are long and his hipbones protrude from the boxers temptingly.

 

Diego blinks, tearing his eyes away from where he was giving this kid a once over, and focuses on the collar again. He’s collared and scarily thin and shaking like a leaf in the cold of the empty room. He’s a prisoner, Diego realises, and seethes.

 

“Mr Hargreeves.” The man smiles sharply, pointedly not looking at the kid behind him, and holds out a hand for Diego to shake. He does so reluctantly. “I’m Reginald. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

 

“Likewise.” Diego replies, and to his credit he doesn’t even blink at the lie. He had been expecting Alexander - had been promised Alexander - but this is what he’s been given and he’ll just have to deal with it. “If you don’t mind me asking—”

 

“Mr Alexander is busy.” Reginald reads his mind with an eerie smile. “Urgent business I’m afraid. He asked me to sincerely apologise for the inconvenience and to invite you to a party he’s hosting next Friday evening in recompense. Will that be agreeable, Mr Hargreeves?”

 

Diego grits his teeth and hopes that his smile doesn’t seem too forced when he nods. “Absolutely. Please tell Mr Alexander I’ll be attending.” He smiles in a false show of thanks when Reginald hands him a small rectangle of card with an address and a time printed onto it. Diego scans it quickly with calculating precision and slides it into the back pocket of his jeans. He hadn’t been aware this would be a black tie event.

 

“I do apologise for your inconvenience in coming out here.” Reginald persists. Diego is about to dismiss the apology and get the hell out of dodge when he speaks up again. “Though I do hope it won’t have been a complete wasted journey. Mr Alexander also asked that I pass on a gift as well, as a token of his goodwill. We do hope you’ll be satisfied, but if it’s not to your tastes then we have many different alternatives.”

 

Reginald grins a shark’s grin and looks to Diego expectantly. Diego looks around, frowning in confusion. There’s nothing else in this room apart from a table and two chairs set out on either side as though ready for an interview, and he doesn’t think Alexander is proposing to gift him a set of furniture—

 

Oh.

 

And then Diego gets it. His eyes fly to the kid standing just a little bit behind Reginald, whose eyes have remained downcast throughout the entire conversation. His hands are clasped behind his back in a show of unnecessary contrition, and Diego’s heart falters. Bile rises in his throat and he has to swallow it down quickly, before Reginald can tell anything is wrong.

 

He forcefully arranges his features into a neutral expression and is just about to politely decline, when a thought occurs to him. If he says no then this kid goes back to living with Reginald or Alexander or any other asshole who’ll be willing to pay the right amount. At least if he accepts he can set the kid free, take him to the police and go home safe with the knowledge that at least he helped one person out today.

 

“Thank you,” he tries to sound grateful when he holds out his hand for the kid’s leash. When Reginald puts it in his hand the kid shuffled forward without even looking up until he’s standing just in front of Diego, body on display like he’s waiting to be inspected. Diego, unsure of what the proper procedure is in this case, places a gentle hand on his shoulder and urges the kid behind him.

 

“Excellent, Mr Alexander will be so pleased.” Reginald rubs his hands together and takes one last leery glance at the kid, who Diego can feel shivering behind him. As soon as Reginald is out of the room Diego is going to drape his jacket over this boy’s shoulders, and hope that it’ll serve to give him some modesty as well as some much needed warmth.

 

“I trust you’ll bring him to the party next Friday?” Reginald inquires ever so politely, and for the first time Diego falters. He does a double take at the man’s words and frowns just a little to try and gain back some calm.

 

“I’m sorry?” He asks.

 

“Oh, everyone will be bringing their pets.” Reginald explains. “You _will_ be bringing him, won’t you? I’m sure Mr Alexander would love to have one last look at him.”

 

The look Reginald levels him with tells him that if he wants even the opportunity to meet Alexander then this is not really an option. Swallowing, he nods jerkily, and that seems to be enough to satisfy Reginald.

 

“Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, Mr Hargreeves. I look forward to seeing you again on Friday.” He turns to leave and Diego knows he should let it go, but he can’t help himself when he speaks up. He wants this kid to at least have some humanity left.

 

“Wait! What should— what should I call him?” Diego asks, and maybe he’s directing it at the wrong person or maybe he sounds far too insecure for the high class businessman he’s suppose to be portraying, but fuck it.

 

“Whatever you want.” Reginald replies archly, unhelpfully, with a raised eyebrow, and then seems to concede. “But he answers to Klaus.”

 

***

Diego does give Klaus his jacket. After assuring Reginald that he’s perfectly fine to find his own way out of the building he shucks his jacket off his own arms and slips it over Klaus’ tensed shoulders, resisting the urge to rub warmth back into the kid’s arms. He looks alarmed when Diego inexplicably starts stripping but doesn’t object, just stands stock still as Diego attempts to warm him up.

 

Neither of them speak until they’re well out of the building. It’s a cold night and Klaus is still only wearing boxers and Diego’s leather jacket, but Diego parked his hire car not far from the old building and so they don’t have to walk far before he can click the lock open and hold the door for Klaus.

 

“Why don’t you just— just wait here for a moment?” Diego suggests, no clue how he should act around the person he was just given. The person he now owns. Klaus just nods and slips into the seat easily, barely moving a muscle after Diego told him to be still.

 

Diego had been holding the leash until they were far enough away from the building lest anyone saw him drop it and found it suspicious, but now he looks at it between his fingers and blanches. He shoves it into Klaus’ hands who fumbles it a little, clearly surprised, but otherwise doesn’t complain.

 

“Yes sir,” is all he says. “Thank you, sir.”

 

“I’ll be right back.” Diego promises, fishing his cell phone out of his pocket and hurriedly dialling Eudora. Every few seconds he keeps glancing back at Klaus through the window of his car into the passenger seat: he’s sitting in absolute stillness, holding his own leash in cupped palms like he’s offering out a gift.

 

“Diego!” Eudora cries as soon as she picks up. “How did it go? Did you meet—”

 

“Eudora, listen to me.” Diego hisses, interrupting her. “I got in there. No, I did not meet Alexander. I got invited to a party for next Friday to meet him. And I got given a person.”

 

Eudora pauses and the only sound on the other side of the line for a good few seconds is her laboured breathing, confusion making it seem even heavier. She sighs as though this is an everyday occurrence and makes him repeat the whole thing back again, slower and with more explanation. When she’s satisfied she knows what’s going on she speaks again, and Diego can practically hear the grimace in her voice.

 

“Well,” She says. “This could potentially help the case? We’ve now got a witness who can confirm Alexander’s guilt in court.”

 

“Eudora!” Diego cries, outraged and scared and confused all in one. “There is a person in my car! A living, breathing human being who now thinks I own him! What do I do? Fuck, I have to take him to the precinct. We have to find his family. Eudora, I have to—”

 

“Diego.” Eudora shuts him down with one firm word. “You absolutely cannot do any of those things.”

 

“What?” He cries. “Why not?”

 

“You heard the man. They want you to bring him back for the party on Friday, so we can’t just pack him off into the system. He has to be around for that. And— shit, Diego, this Klaus kid? Who knows how brainwashed he is? Who knows how long he’s been in captivity? If we tell him the truth about what’s going on here and he goes to that party with you and tells someone else, we’re fucked. The investigation is fucked, and you’re probably dead as well.”

 

“So,” Diego inhales shakily, taking another look at Klaus again. He’s still in that frozen position, still glaring daggers at exactly the same boring spot of dashboard that he was when Diego left him there. “What you’re saying is until Friday, I have to act like I own this kid? Like he’s my fucking slave?”

“Essentially,” Eudora replies. “Yeah.”

Diego groans. 

“It’s only until Friday, Diego.” Eudora urges him. “I’ll look through our unfinished missing persons records for anyone named Klaus, but until then just… keep him in your flat. Feed him, give him some clothes, make him take a shower or two. Just don’t breathe a word about the case. Okay, Hargreeves?”

 

She’s all professional now, spouting bullshit - sadly, bullshit that does make total sense to Diego - about the integrity of the case and how he can’t fuck this one up. He nods his head even though he knows she can’t see him, even though inside he's freaking out. How can he take care of another whole human being? He can barely look after himself.

 

“Got it, Patch.” He says in response, and hangs up before he can say anything he’ll regret. Okay, so no big deal. He’s just going to have a former sex slave living with him for the next week, all in the name of duty.

 

“Okay.” Diego breathes to himself, heading back towards the car. “Now for the hard part.”


	2. Chapter 2

Diego is not rich and he never has been - his boiler room apartment is less than impressive - but by the time he’s got Klaus in through the door and away from prying eyes he sort of feels like he’s living in a sewer. There’s no denying that Reginald looked rich, and if Klaus belonged to Alexander before now then he’ll naturally have been exposed to fancier things, but the way Klaus looks around the room in bafflement makes Diego feel ten times smaller.

 

“It’s not much, I know.” He says defensively, bustling off to the closet to find one of the robes he snagged from the gym’s shower room the other day. “But it’s home, and no one will come down here unless I’m with them.”

 

Klaus shivers, standing in the middle of the floor with his arms wrapped around himself. When Diego says this he looks up at him, wide eyed and fearful, and Diego curses internally. What could he have said to scare the kid now?

 

“Oh no, sir,” Klaus stutters, watching Diego briefly before swallowing and watching the ground instead. “This is perfect. Thank you.”

 

“Um, right.” Diego rubs the back of his neck awkwardly and holds out the robe for Klaus to take. Maybe if he’s covered up he’ll feel a little more confident, and will stop acting like he’s walking on eggshells. Christ, Diego has no experience with this, and Eudora didn’t even give him any pointers.

 

Klaus looks at the robe and back up at Diego in confusion before reaching out tentatively to take it from him. Diego turns back around to turn the kettle on; after the night he’s had he needs a fucking cup of tea. He glances over his shoulder to ask if Klaus wants anything to drink, but the kid is still standing there watching him, and holding the robe in his hands like he’s never seen one before and has no clue what he’s supposed to do with it.

 

Diego sighs. “Here,” He tries, miming putting his arms through sleeves. “You put it on. You wear it, sort of like a jacket. Okay?”

 

“Okay, sir.” Klaus nods back at him, wide eyed, and complies almost immediately, except he’s attempting to put it on over Diego’s jacket that he’s still wearing. He’s struggling, desperately trying to tug the sleeves over the bulky leather jacket he’s already wearing and getting more and more worked up when it isn’t working.

 

“No, look, like this.” Diego hurries to intervene, forgetting about the kettle for a minute. He touches Klaus’ shoulder gently, careful not to startle him, and slides the jacket over his arms until it falls in a heap on the floor. Diego winces - that’s one of his favourite jackets right there - but now is clearly not the time.

 

Klaus shivers when Diego’s fingers brush against his bare skin, but otherwise holds still. When Diego looks up its to find Klaus watching him with an unreadable expression: unreadable only because it holds so many minute details that Diego can’t even hope to unravel. Fear, definitely, and hope and confusion all in one.

 

“Try it now.” He says, and when he speaks his voice comes out weak and whispery. Klaus blinks and the moment is over.

 

“Thank you, sir.” Klaus says almost inaudibly, tugging the robe on over himself and tying the cord in a loose knot around his stomach. Diego is struck by how thin he is, how shaky and unsteady he looks under the flowing fabric. He winces.

 

“Do you, uh, want something to eat?” He’s expecting Klaus to protest or just stay silent, watching him with those big, reproachful eyes, but surprisingly enough he answers straight away.

 

“Yes please, sir.” He says simply, biting his fingernails. Diego is stuck once again with his obvious youth; how young he is Diego can’t say - he’s hoping the kid is at least eighteen, but there’s no way of telling. Like this he seems even younger, even more vulnerable, than back with Reginald when he had been almost naked and on a leash. Diego’s heart aches for him, for everything he must have been through from such a young age.

 

“What would you like?” He asks, actively trying to make his voice kinder. He sounds harsh at the best of times - Eudora would probably say ‘pissed off’ - but Klaus seems scared enough as it is and he doesn’t want to make it worse.

 

This, however, seems to be where Klaus’ autonomy ends. He blinks owlishly at Diego like he’s never been asked this question before - fuck, he might really have never been asked his question before - and keeps his mouth shut. Diego nods to himself slowly and opens his cupboard, pulling out the first thing he sees. He hasn’t been shopping in a while and his kitchen is sort of under stocked, so he’s not surprised the first thing he sees turns out to be a bag of cheese puffs. It’s not exactly a gourmet dinner but Klaus glares at them ravenously so Diego offers them without complaint.

 

“I’m just going to go and make up the sofa, okay?” Diego makes sure to explain why he’s leaving in case his absence worries the kid, but Klaus seems distracted enough by his snack. Diego is able to sneak away without exacting much panic, just a muffled, ‘yes, sir’ and an absentminded nod.

 

Diego contemplates the last few hours as he drapes a sheet over his ratty sofa. It’s not exactly the best thing for Klaus to be sleeping on, but it’s not like he has a spare bedroom here and he hasn’t gotten round to buying a pull out yet. He desperately wants to call Eudora and beg her for help, ask if she can come round and look after this entirely separate being instead of him, but he knows that would fuck up the investigation just as much.

 

God, he wishes there was a police handbook for shit like this.

 

When he returns to the where Klaus is still standing - he hasn’t even moved a step since Diego left - its to the sight of Klaus holding an empty packet in one hand and licking powder off his fingertips the other. Diego has to stop for a minute just to admire the sight: Klaus’ pretty pink tongue darting out across his fingers until they’re wet and shining with spit.

 

Then he remembers. Slave, master, right, got it.

 

“So, I think I’m going to go to bed now.” Diego hints warily, kicking off his shoes and deciding to forgo the tea. Today has been exhausting and he just wants to curl up and go to sleep, but when he moves to crawl under the covers Klaus follows him. Diego opens his mouth to direct him to the sofa, but then Klaus is tugging at the cord of his robe to loosen it and crawling on all fours up the bed towards him.

 

“Ah!” Diego, much to his embarrassment, screeches a little. He tells himself it’s that and not the sliver of skin and the tease of Klaus’ nipple that has him blushing, colour rushing to his cheeks. “What are you doing?”

 

Klaus hesitates, sitting back on his feet in the middle of Diego’s bed. The robe rides up around his thighs and Diego can see far more soft, unmarked skin than he deserves to. It makes his throat feel dry and he has to swallow before he can even think about speaking again.

 

“I… don’t understand.” Klaus replies, sounding genuinely upset. “You said you were going to bed. Don’t you want me to—”

 

“ _No_!” Diego cries, just so that he won’t have to hear whatever Klaus is about to say. He knows he’d never get the words out of his head, and he shouldn’t even have the tease of them rattling around in his brain. He tears his gaze away from Klaus’ thighs forcefully, from the soft skin and the fine hairs there that would feel like silk under his palm.

 

“I’m so sorry, sir.” Klaus breathes, face blanching. He’s scrabbling at the covers before Diego can object and tell him he doesn’t need to worry, practically flinging himself to the floor and curling up into the foetal position there. When Diego peers over the edge of the bed Klaus is shaking, holding onto his arms for support.

 

“Um, Klaus?” Diego asks, and isn’t surprised when he doesn’t get a response. “What are you doing?”

 

“Sleeping on the floor, sir.” Klaus replies, with only a hint of attitude, in the way that one might say ‘duh’. “Isn’t that what you want?” He sounds mildly exasperated now, and Diego gets it. He really does. This must be so confusing for the kid to be sent from one home to another and not have anything explained to him.

 

In Klaus’ eyes, Diego isn’t happy when he stays still and waits for orders, and he’s not happy when he takes charge and actually does something. He’s not happy with Klaus on the bed and he’s not happy with him on the floor. God, Diego needs to get his act together and make Klaus feel at ease here, because he’s done a spectacularly terrible job of it so far.

 

“No, hey, look. Why don’t you come up here and take the bed?” Klaus regards him with a suspicious look, but he takes the hand Diego offers him and pulls himself back onto the bed. He lets Diego pull the covers up around him and even smiles prettily as Diego fucking tucks him in. Is this how to look after another human being? Is Diego doing it right?

 

But when he pulls back and says, “I’ll take the couch.” Klaus responds with such a shocked, vehement, “No!” That even Diego startles a little. Klaus flushes and goes pale all in the same second, bringing his hand up to his mouth to chew at his nails again. It must be a habit, and there must be something seriously wrong with Diego that he finds it cute.

 

“Sorry, sir.” Klaus apologises, embarrassed. “I just— don’t take the couch. That wouldn’t be right. I’d rather sleep on the floor, sir.”

 

He spits the words out like they disgust him, but when he looks up at Diego his eyes are wide and honest. Shit, Diego can’t believe he’s actually considering this, but…

 

“Alright…” Diego concedes, shuffling under the covers himself fully clothed. He lies on his back, staring up at the ceiling in darkness. “I’ll stay on this side, okay? I won’t touch you, you don’t have to worry about that.”

 

Klaus doesn’t reply, just hums contentedly under his breath, and Diego doesn’t want to complicate things further by looking over at him so he simply reaches up to flick the light switch off. They’re plunged into darkness, and Diego is very aware of Klaus’ rhythmic breathing, the rise and fall of his chest as it moves the bedsheet. He consoles himself with the thought that Klaus is probably used to the comfort of another warm body next to him in bed— and he uses the term ‘comfort’ very loosely.

 

Whatever, he decides sleepily. It doesn’t matter as long as he sticks to his side of the bed and Klaus sticks to Klaus’.

 

When he wakes up briefly in the middle of the night, it’s to the weight of Klaus’ arm over his chest and his leg swung over Diego’s hips. He’s clinging onto him like a fucking koala, with his forehead pressed against Diego’s upper arm.

 

Cute, is Diego’s first thought, and then he’s falling asleep.

 

***

 

It’s been another long fucking day. Klaus had already been up by the time Diego had woken up, and he had been preparing a breakfast that Diego didn’t even know he could make with the ingredients in his fridge. When he had explained to the kid that he had to leave for work Klaus had nodded and leaned forward like he was expecting a kiss goodbye. Diego still feels kind of guilty that he ducked past him and ran out of the door, shouting the time he would be back over his shoulder as he left.

 

Eudora had demanded all the details, of course, and Diego had to retell the story to at least three different interested parties who had nothing better to do than sit in on station gossip. Eudora still hadn’t got anywhere with locating Klaus’ family - or indeed identifying Klaus - and so by the time he gets home Diego is ready to crash on the couch with a can of beer.

 

Only, when he opens the door its to the sight of Klaus, still wearing the robe Diego gave him last night, knelt in front of the door with his head bowed and his hands clasped in front of him. Diego startles, tripping over his own feet and almost faceplanting into his own apartment. He closes the door behind him quickly even though it’s unlikely anyone would walk past.

 

“Klaus, hey, what are you doing?” He asks, trying to be gentle and kind but panic is rising in his voice unstoppably. Klaus must be able to sense something is wrong because he looks up at Diego in fearful confusion and actually meets his eye this time. “How long have you been kneeling there?”

 

“T– Two hours, sir.” Klaus replies in a small voice, looking ashamed of himself. “I would have been there for longer, sir, I swear! But I cleaned your apartment. It took longer than I thought, I’m sorry.” He looks around and sure enough, the usual clutter of his apartment is gone. Every surface in sight is shiny and spotless. Diego groans and, when Klaus lets out a noise that sounds awfully like a whimper, he guides him upright with a firm hand cupped under his elbow.

 

“Klaus, kid, you don’t have to do that. You don’t have to kneel, you don’t have to clean my apartment and you don’t have to call me sir. My name is Diego, okay? Call me Diego.” He tries to capture Klaus’ attention but the kid keeps looking away, colour staining his cheek. Diego, in a move so bold that it’s almost certainly a mistake, places two fingers under his chin and tilts it upwards so that they’re looking right at each other.

 

Klaus’ breath hitches and Diego feels it fan across his face, though whether it’s because of the unexpected contact or the gentleness of the gesture he isn’t sure. Klaus’ tongue darts out to wet his lips, and Diego’s eyes follow the movement almost unconsciously, stepping closer without ever intending to move.

 

Because Klaus is just so… everything. He’s alluring and mysterious and submissive and pliant. He exudes some sort of aura that makes Diego want to simultaneously take care of him and make him come so hard he cries. Diego hasn’t seen him cry yet, but he thinks the kid would look beautiful like that. He’s so fucking pretty.

 

And how unprofessional is that? Diego is a cop, and this kid has been through all sorts of trauma. He should not even be thinking about getting his hands anywhere near him, and yet. And yet, Klaus just makes it so easy to want to.

 

“Diego.” Klaus breathes, eyelashes fluttering. Diego breaks out into a beaming smile and nods, enthusiastically enough to have Klaus giggling a little and smiling right back at him for the first time since they met. It’s dazzlingly beautiful, Diego thinks, Klaus’ smile.

 

“Yeah, that’s right! Good— good.” Diego’s grin fades a little when he has to physically stop himself from saying ‘good boy’, but if Klaus notices anything’s wrong he doesn’t let it ruin his moment of joy.

 

“Thank you, sir.” He says instead. Diego sighs, smiles weakly and pats the kid’s shoulder encouragingly.

 

Good things come to those who wait, Diego reminds himself. He’ll work on it.


	3. Chapter 3

Diego is not a sociable person by any means. He’ll go for a drink with Eudora sometimes, but that’s only after a good half hour of pressuring and cajoling and, in some particularly dire circumstances, threatening. He prefers the comfort and familiarity of his own home, and if his friends have a problem with that then that’s their issue.

 

Except now, he kind of knows how they feel. He doesn’t think he’s ever been as bad as Klaus, who, at the first suggestion of actually going outside, makes a high pitched whining noise in the back of his throat and starts shaking his head so hard Diego is sure he’s going to give himself a concussion. All the colour blanches from his face at once and he stumbles back, hitting his bed with the backs of his knees and sitting down on the edge heavily.

 

“No, please.” He says immediately, voice already broken and thick with tears. “Sir, please, I’ll stay here. I can clean or make you food. Just, please, _sir_.”

 

Diego, feeling the familiar sensation of hopeless panic settle crushingly in his chest, hurries over to the bed. When he sits next to Klaus he expects the kid to flinch or shuffle away - his face is streamed with tears and he’s chewed his lips red and swollen - but instead he does the opposite. Diego extends an arm over his shoulders and Klaus nestled into the space under his arm, pressing his tear-damp face into Diego’s neck. Diego brings his other hand up to rest on Klaus’ head and scratches his fingernails over the boy’s scalp in what he hopes is a comforting gesture. If the way Klaus melts against him is any indication - he grasps the front of Diego’s shirt, fabric rumpled in Klaus’ tiny fist, and Diego tries not to find it the most adorable thing ever - it works.

 

“Hey,” He says, voice high pitched and almost sickly sweet. “Hey, Klaus, what’s wrong? Don’t you want to go out? You can stay in if you want but if I’m gonna be buying you new clothes I kind of need you there. Does that make sense?”

 

Klaus swallows and nods slowly, looking up at Diego with wide, watery eyes. Tears clump in his eyelashes and he wipes his nose on Diego’s shirt, which is simultaneously gross and ridiculously cute as well. Diego sighs and wipes the tears off Klaus’ face with his sleeve.

 

“When was the last time you went out, huh?” Diego asks, a sick feeling building up in his stomach. Klaus shrugs, and Diego would say he looks almost sulky now but he’s too frightened to be sulky. When Diego pulls away just a little to be able to see better, Klaus inhales sharply and follows him, edging closer like Diego’s warm body pressed against his is the only thing keeping him upright.

 

“I dunno,” he mumbles, cheeks flushing like he’s actually ashamed of himself for being imprisoned. “A while? There was a van to the auction house, but Sir didn’t want me to look out of the window.”

 

Diego pressed his lips together into a thin line and swallows the bile in his throat, nodding slowly.

 

“Okay, how about this.” Diego proposes, telling himself he is absolutely doing this to help Klaus’ emotional stability, not for any other reason. At all. “We go outside and— and I’ll hold your hand, or put my arm round your waist or whatever you want. If anyone tries to talk to you I’ll stop them. Okay? I won’t let anyone… be mean to you?”

 

Klaus stares at him for a few moments, blinking with a look that Diego fears might be adoration, before nodding slowly. He unclenches his first and slides his hand down Diego’s shirt, over his forearm and slips his hand into Diego’s real easy. It’s warm and soft and Diego can’t help but rub his thumb against Klaus’ palm in small circles.

 

“Yeah,” he hums in a small voice, looking down at the way Diego’s clothes swamp him and wrinkling his nose. “I mean, yes, sir, thank you.”

 

Diego winces. “Hey,” He starts a little awkwardly, standing up and guiding Klaus up by the hand. “If we’re going out, maybe… don’t call me that? It’s Diego, remember? We talked about this.”

 

Klaus bites his bottom lip and nods once, but Diego gets the feeling he’s biting back a laugh rather than a sob. That, at least, is a comfort.

 

***

 

If what Klaus says is true, the boy probably hasn’t been outside in years, and he absolutely acts like it. If Diego wasn’t so worried about him he’d be worried about the odd looks they’re definitely getting. Klaus acts like Diego imagines a child in a candy store would act, if the child was curious and terrified at the same time. Every new store front they pass Klaus rushes up to, dragging Diego along with him - who, true to his word, hasn’t let go of Klaus’ hand once since they left the house - and rubbing his fingers all over the glass, leaving sticky fingerprints. More than once Diego has to tug him away after getting a few dirty looks from the store managers.

 

Despite all this, whenever anyone so much as brushes past Klaus on their way in or out of a shop he flinches and presses up close against Diego’s side, tucking himself under his arm and squeezing his hand rhythmically. By the time Diego finds a small, relatively empty shop he’s feeling so frazzled, so worried on Klaus’ behalf, that he just ducks inside and pulls the boy in with him.

 

It’s a little boutique, dimly lit with men and women’s clothing hung up on bars from the ceiling. Diego feels Klaus relax next to him, his body losing the stiff tension in his shoulders. He releases his death grip on Diego’s hand - he’s probably left permanent marks with the way he was digging his nails in - but he still keeps their fingers intertwined loosely. Yeah for support, Diego imagines.

 

“You wanna go have a look around?” Diego asks, because Klaus is sort of tugging on his arm and it’s adorable, but he’s also clearly not going to ask Diego for what he wants. Klaus turns to him with an open, vulnerable expression, an excited glint in his eyes.

 

“For real?” Klaus asks, for a second seeming to forget about where they are and who he’s with and the situation he’s in. The smile he levels at Diego is so wide and genuine and beautiful that it takes all his breath away, just for a second, and he’s left staring at what he imagines Klaus would have looked like before all this shit happened to him.

 

Then then it all seems to come back to him in a rush and his smile fades a little, replaced with a wary caution.

 

“Will you come with me, sir?” When Diego winces and glances over his shoulder worriedly, Klaus corrects himself. “I mean Diego, sorry.”

 

So that’s what he’s worried about? He wants to look around but he doesn’t want to be on his own - doesn’t want to feel like Diego has abandoned him. Diego thinks back to the promise he made the boy earlier and wonders how many people have made the same kind of promises to Klaus only to break them later on. No wonder he’s acting wary, if that’s the way he’s been treated for so long.

 

“Of course. “Diego does his best to give a reassuring smile and squeezes Klaus’ hand, just once, to comfort him. “I’ll be right here. Promise.”

 

Klaus smiles, a slow, lazy, lopsided grin that sets Diego‘s heart racing. Then he’s gone, lost to the racks and racks of clothing; Diego isn’t really surprised that he’s a shopping diva but it’s nice to see it anyway, especially after the fuss he put up about going out in the first place.

 

In all honesty Diego has no clue how long they spend in there. In a complete reversal of roles he lets Klaus lead him round by the hand and explore the rows of t-shirts and trousers and hoodies. Diego throws a few essentials into a basket to start - and does _not_ blush as he picks out a basically pair of cotton boxers for Klaus, because he is a mature, responsible adult - but whenever he holds out a top or a pair of jeans as a hopeful suggestion Klaus frowns and wrinkles his nose and nods because he thinks it’s what Diego wants. Diego ends up putting most of the things back.

 

By the time they’ve gathered enough clothes to fill a basket - and Diego is so claiming this back as work expenses - Diego is honestly ready to go home and sleep for the rest of the day. Social outings really take it out of him and babysitting Klaus has been even more exhausting than usual. He heaves the basket onto the counter and smiles awkwardly at the woman behind the counter when she raises an eyebrow at him.

 

Just to dispel the uncomfortable silence that’s settled over the store - Christ, Diego wishes they’d play music or something - he turns to Klaus with a question ready on the tip of his tongue. Only, when he glances over his shoulder, Klaus is nowhere to be found.

 

Diego’s heart pounds suddenly and he’s filled with panic so visceral that he feels winded - he really lost Klaus in the smallest, emptiest shop he’s ever fucking been in? He can never become a parent if this is how irresponsible he is - but then, on the other side of the store, he spots him. He’s standing with his back to the register and Diego is so relieved that he’s okay that he can’t even be mad.

 

“Could you just wait one moment? I’m so sorry.” Diego tells the assistant apologetically and dashes off before she can reply, winding a path through all the racks of clothing to get to Klaus. He jumps, surprised, when he notices Diego appear beside him and if he didn’t know Klaus’ history he’d think it was because he was too absorbed in what he’s looking at to pay his surroundings any attention.

 

What he’s looking at turns out to be a skirt. Diego pauses for a moment to re-evaluate a few things in his head, but it fits. Klaus would look fantastic in a skirt.

 

“You like that?” Diego asks, jerking his head towards the clothing. It’s nothing special, just a short black miniskirt with an elastic waistband, but Klaus is looking up at it dreamily with hearts in his eyes and Diego would either have to be a total idiot or blind not to see that Klaus wants it.

 

“Oh, no, that’s okay. Thank you, sir.” He makes sure to lower his voice when he says it, and Diego is filled with a surge of affection for him so strong and out of the blue that he wants to scoop Klaus up and pet his hair.

 

He buys the skirt; of course he does. He pays for it himself too.

 

***

 

When they get home Klaus is still clutching his new skirt. After taking bites of his sandwich at every red stoplight he came across on the journey home he’s not particularly fussed about actually cooking anything, but he figures Klaus would appreciate another meal. Besides, what with the way he’s been making all of Diego’s meals for him recently, including packed lunches to take to work with cute little, ‘have a nice day!’ messages written on the brown paper bag, Diego feels like he owes Klaus.

 

So as soon as he’s put the bag by his bed and promised himself he’ll put the clothes away later, he sets about making pasta. It’s one of the few things he actually knows how to make and it’s quick and easy, so everybody wins. Out of the corner of his eye from where he’s standing at the stove he can see Klaus stood, stock still, in the middle of the floor clutching his skirt like it’s a prize.

 

“Do you want to… try it on?” Diego suggests, stirring pasta with one hand and leaning back against the counter with the other. He tries to keep his voice as non judgemental as possible, but he figures that if he didn’t have a problem with buying it for the kid in the first place Klaus will realise he still doesn’t have a problem with it now.

 

Klaus startles, like he’s been caught doing something he shouldn’t, and Diego bites back the instinct to apologise in the same way that it looks like Klaus does.

 

Instead, he gives a small smile and nods, murmuring, “Thank you.” It looks like he’s been waiting for permission to do just this what with the way he practically dances out of the room and towards the bathroom, and Diego watches him go with a fond expression that he can’t quite quell.

 

He catches himself before Klaus does. He only has this until Friday— it’s better if he doesn’t get attached to the kid.

 

Diego busies himself with finishing dinner, making himself a plate if only so Klaus won’t feel awkward eating alone. He’s just setting out plates when he hears the slightest noise behind him and feels something light and delicate brush over his shoulder. He turns, not really expecting to see anything, and yelps a little when he comes face to face with Klaus. How had the boy managed to get that close without making any noise?

 

“ _Shit_ ,” Diego squeaks, the pinnacle of society’s masculinity right here. “Klaus!”

 

He’s not sure what he was going to say, but whatever it is trails off at the sight of Klaus wearing one of Diego’s oversized sleep-shirts and his new skirt; the fabric fans out over his thighs and, instead of accentuating how unhealthily thin he is, the elastic waistband clings to his hips in all the right places. He looks soft and pliant and so fucking cute, everything Diego should probably not want him to be.

 

“What are you—” _Doing_ , Diego tries to ask, but Klaus reaches out clumsily and grabs Diego’s hand between his own. Diego is frozen, trapped between doing what he desperately wants to do and going along with it, or putting an end to this right now and risk scarring Klaus’ sense of self worth more than it’s already been scarred.

 

“Sir,” Klaus murmurs, leaning close and looking up at Diego from under his eyelashes demurely. He must know what he’s doing, Diego thinks, as Klaus guides his hand to his leg so that his fingertips brush just underneath the hemline of the skirt against Klaus’ thigh. His skin is so soft and smooth with just the barest hint of fuzziness, like maybe he’s been shaving his legs up until recently. Diego has a desperate, breathtaking desire to find out where else he’s shaved, but he can barely breathe, let alone move.

 

Klaus leads Diego’s hand higher up his leg until his wrist is entirely disappearing underneath the skirt, so that Diego can feel the heat from Klaus’ body against his palm. His hand tightens, just once, around the meat of Klaus’ thigh and he’s sure that’s all the kid needs to know to realise that Diego wants him desperately.

 

He’s not sure exactly why the boy seems to want to be fucked so badly, whether it’s because of genuine attraction and desire or just an affect of the abuse he lived with for so long, but in the end it doesn’t matter. Like a little secret weapon, Klaus nuzzles his face into Diego’s neck and brushes soft, damp lips against the shell of his ear. “Diego,” He whispers needily, and Diego _moans_.

 

“Fuck, Klaus,” He whispers, even though this is his own apartment and he doesn’t need to hide from anyone. “We really shouldn’t.”

 

“Don’t you want to?” Klaus asks back, a perfectly innocent question sounding downright fucking filthy coming from him, dripping with intent. Diego shivers involuntarily and presses his forehead against the top of Klaus’ head, buries his face in the boy’s curls; he can feel himself getting hard in his pants, his cock stirring at the feeling of Klaus’ warm, intimate skin against his hand and his warm, puffing breath on his neck.

 

“I do,” Diego says hoarsely, powerless to say anything but the truth. “God, you’re so— Klaus, I _cant_.”

 

“You _can_ ,” Klaus whines back, and for the first time since Klaus showed up in the kitchen dressed like that Diego falters. Klaus doesn’t sound horny or turned on - well, he _does_ \- but prevailingly he sounds desperate, and not the good kind. The kind that turns Diego’s stomach, because all Klaus wants is someone to hold him. “You can!”

 

“Hey, hey,” It may be the hardest thing Diego has ever done but he manages to peel himself off Klaus and step back, looking at the situation with clarity and distance both physical and metaphorical. “Why don’t we eat dinner, and then we can go to bed, hmm? To sleep, I mean. Together.”

 

God, he’s really fucking this up. Eudora would be so much better at this than him, and she’d probably have brought down Alexander’s whole operation somehow whilst she was at it, but it wasn’t Eudora that went to that place. It wasn’t Eudora who took Klaus home, and it wasn’t Eudora who Klaus attached himself to in the night.

 

For some reason Klaus wants Diego to take care of him, and fuck it all but that is what Diego is going to do.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can someone like... pass my exams for me? <3


	4. Chapter 4

“How goes the babysitting?” Eudora plonks herself down on Diego’s desk without a care for the stacks of paperwork balancing precariously on the edge. Diego leans back in his chair with a heavy exhalation and runs a hand over his face; he’s deliberately been holding off on talking about this with Eudora, not through any sense of not wanting to bother her but purely because if he talks about Klaus with her she’ll know for sure that something is off. Eudora is perceptive: she’s not going to accept, ‘it’s fine’ as a legitimate response.

 

“Stressful,” Diego answers honestly, choosing not to elaborate on the reason of his stress being Klaus’ clumsy, endearing attempts at seduction. “I really don’t think this was the best idea.”

 

Eudora sighs and Diego does feel a bit bad. He knows she’s conflicted; that the cop half of her brain is telling her to bring down Alexander’s operation no matter the cost and the friend half of her brain wants to get Klaus a safe house and a shitload of therapy.

 

“Three years, Diego.” She says, quiet and resigned. “Three years we’ve been working on this case. It’s just a few more days, and think about how many people we’ll save.”

 

“I know, Eudora, I know.” He shakes his head and drums his fingers against his desk in a nervous, pacing rhythm. “But Klaus… I just. He—”

 

Diego feels Eudora stiffen next to him before he hears her short, sharp inhalation of breath. Her hand slaps down onto the table in front of his chair.

 

“Holy shit.” Eudora breathes, kicking his chair until he finally looks up reluctantly. “You’re into him.”

 

“Eudora—”

 

”Holy _shit_ , you really are! Have you fucked him? Christ, Diego, is _this_ why you kept saying it was a bad idea? If you fuck this operation up after three years just because you couldn’t keep your dick I’m your pants—”

 

“Shit,” Diego pushes back from the table indignantly so that he’s at eye level with Eudora again, so it feels that they’re on a more even playing field. “Eudora, _no_. I haven’t— I’ve barely touched him!”

 

“Barely?”

 

Diego falters. He doesn’t want to lie – not just because she’s his friend, but also because she’s his commanding officer, and like it or not this is official police business - but what can he say? That he and Klaus had a moment? That he managed to behave but in doing so practically admitted to wanting the kid? He can’t say any of that. Unfortunately Eudora seems to know anyway, because she’s always able to tell when it comes to Diego.

 

“Diego,” She says lowly. “What happened?”

 

“He came onto me!” Diego exclaims, apologetic and defensive all in one. Eudora blinks back surprise at his outburst and glances around to check no one is eavesdropping as he continues. “He came onto me; he was— he _asked_ me to sleep with him. I said no!”

 

“But you wanted to say yes.” Eudora replies, assessing, and it’s not a question. Diego deflates.

 

“He’s just so… I don’t know. Captivating? If you met him you’d know what I mean.” And it’s true: there’s no way Diego can think to describe Klaus other than captivating. He has an aura surrounding him that’s so sweet and sad and sultry, Diego can’t breathe properly when he’s around him, and he can’t breathe properly when they’re apart. Eudora sighs.

 

“Diego, this isn’t just a legal thing, okay?” If you sleep with him and anybody finds out he won’t be able to testify, you know that, right? But it’s not just that. It’s… look, Diego. Fuck, just look at this.”

 

She shoves a folder in his face, and the first thing he notices when his eyes have adjusted is the tiny picture of Klaus clipped to the paper. He looks younger and healthier - hair cut short and neat, colour in his cheeks - but no less sad.

 

“What am I looking at here?” Diego asks slowly, because he knows, but he’s still terrified of the answer.

 

“I found him.” Eudora replies simply, turning the page when he makes no move to do so himself. That’s Klaus, another copy of the photo on the front but bigger. He’s wearing a school uniform, something fancy with a sigil and a logo, but the thing that scares Diego the most is the look in Klaus’ eyes. Slow, empty. Dead.

 

“He went to this private boarding school, run by this crazy billionaire guy, the kind of place you put a kid when you don’t want them any more. Parents are dead, so billionaire dude becomes his legal guardian, right? Anyway, fairly soon after this Reginald reports fourteen year old Klaus missing, says some of the other kids saw him packing a bag, so we assume he ran away. No love lost there, clearly. But fast forward a few years and Reginald’s prestigious boarding school? Closed down on child abuse and neglect charges. He was supposedly running gay conversion therapy in the basement as well, so three guesses as to why Klaus ran away. So they go to bring him in, and the fucker’s dead before he can be arrested. Rumours are he killed himself.”

 

And, okay, Diego gets it now. Not that he didn’t get it before but now he knows why Eudora is so passionately against anything happening between them? Klaus was treated like shit even before he got mixed up in all this; he’s never known anything but betrayal, loneliness and pain. If Diego sleeps with him then what sort of impression does that give? That he’s only worth saving if he puts out, probably, or that the only way he can have nice things is by sucking someone’s dick for it first. That he owes Diego something, when that couldn't be farther from the truth.

 

But the thing that worries Diego the most is that if Klaus comes to him again, shy and demanding at the same time somehow, crawling all over him like a tiny kitten, and puts Diego’s hands on him, he knows he won’t be able to stop.

 

***

 

Klaus doesn’t kneel any more, when Diego gets home. It’s both a relief and a curse; instead he always appears from the bedroom, looking shifty and mildly pleased with himself. When Diego closes the door behind himself and Klaus _doesn’t_ show up, he races himself to remain calm. Klaus wouldn’t leave the house alone - the kid made a fuss for ten minutes straight about going out _with_ Diego – and there’s no sign of a break in. Shit, when did he get so paranoid?

 

“Klaus?” He calls cautiously, dumping his bag on the kitchen table. There’s a rustling from his left and he turns just in time to see Klaus creaking open the bathroom door and shuffling out guiltily. “Oh, good, I was just about to—”

 

What he was just about to do Diego will never know, because it’s not like he’d thought that far ahead. Had he really thought telling Klaus they’d located his shitty dead adopted father would go down well? In some ways he’s glad he never gets the chance to say any of this.

 

Because in the end it doesn’t matter: he gets a good look at Klaus and instantly loses the ability to talk, because Klaus is not only wearing another one of Diego’s shirts - an old, tatty tank top this time - and his skirt, but he’s also wearing makeup. Honest to god fucking makeup.

 

He looks nervous when he finally makes eye contact with Diego: nervous but strangely defensive, like he’s daring Diego to get angry with him for this. He wonders if Klaus has given the same challenging look to his previous ‘masters’, and if they let it slide or if they really did get angry. It makes Diego want to wrap an arm around his shoulders and pepper soft, chaste kisses over Klaus’ face.

 

It’s only a little bit, in truth, but it seems to change everything somehow. He’s just ringed his eyes with a little eyeliner - messily, at that - but it transforms him into a creature even more ethereal and breathtaking than he had been before. His eyes are big and damp and startlingly green; Diego wants nothing more than to just touch him.

 

“Where…” Diego trails off breathlessly, taking a half step closer and trying to quell the butterflies in his stomach when Klaus doesn’t move away. “How?”

 

“I found it.” Klaus answers shakily, and it’s sort of a relief that he didn’t leave on his own, even if Diego hadn’t been aware he had makeup in his apartment. He can’t remember the last time he had a girl over for the night— it’s been a while, and it’s been even longer since he had anyone move in with him. That must have belonged to his ex - Kirsty? Kristen? - and it must have been there for _years_. He kind of wants to ask Klaus what he had been doing to find it, but he doesn’t want to make him think he’s done anything wrong.

 

“That must have been my ex’s.” Diego murmurs absentmindedly, only really acknowledging what he’s said when Klaus’ eyes snap up to meet his. He looks… strange, with his eyes narrowed and his bottom lip between his teeth. He looks suspicious, and, Diego thinks, almost jealous.

 

“Your… ex?” Klaus asks, voice strangely tight.

 

“Um, yeah.” Diego replies, still a little distracted by Klaus in makeup and his own dirty thoughts. “My ex girlfriend.”

 

Something in Klaus relaxes then and he loses the tension in his shoulders. “Girlfriend?” He asks uncertainly, and Diego’s stomach turns with realisation. Surely Klaus didn’t think… well, what? Why wouldn’t Klaus think that of him? It’s not like Diego has actually been honest about the situation they’ve both found themselves in.

 

“Yeah,” Diego eases closer until he can lay a hand on Klaus’ shoulder and lead him easily to the sofa nearby. They sink down into the cushions together, so close that Diego can feel the heat of Klaus’ bare thigh through the fabric of his jeans. “My ex girlfriend. We broke up about a year and a half ago. She moved out.”

 

“And you _let_ her?” Klaus exclaims, eyebrows raised in disbelief. Okay, well, it looks like Klaus is going to need a shitload of therapy after all this is over to teach him about how relationships work in the real world.

 

“It wasn’t my decision to make.” Diego says gently, making sure to keep any sign of judgement out of his voice. “She wanted to leave, so she left. I don’t own her.”

 

“But you own me?” Klaus says, only sounding curious. Diego almost, _almost_ says no, before he catches himself and snaps his mouth shut. He exhales shakily; he wants to cry and throw up and tell Klaus that no one is going to hurt him ever again, but he can’t say any of that. Silence stretches onwards, but thankfully Klaus speaks before he has to.

 

“So, she lived here?” He asks, sounding deliberately casual. “What was she like? Did she clean for you?” Diego blinks, baffled by the unexpected direction of the conversation.

 

“Um, no?” He replies.

 

“Did she cook for you?” Klaus frowns.

 

“Not really, I—”

 

“Did she make you come?” He asks.

 

Diego swallows. Klaus suddenly feels much closer than before, so much so that his breath tickles Diego’s face with each exhale, and Diego is sure his pupils must be blown wide with arousal. He can feel himself getting hard, scraping against the zipper of his jeans uncomfortably.

 

“Yeah.” Diego breathes. Klaus, in one fluid motion, swings his leg over Diego’s waist and hoists himself up into his lap. The boy’s skirt fans out over Diego’s lap and Klaus takes both of his hands, spreading them wide and warm over his thighs under the skirt. “What—”

 

“I get it now,” Klaus interrupts, voice so soft and breathy and quiet. “I get it. She didn’t do those things for you because— because she wasn’t yours. But I’m yours. I do everything that she didn’t, I can do this better than her too. I promise, please.”

 

Klaus’ ass is settled over Diego’s cock, rocking back and forth slowly, delicious pressure and friction making his toes curl. Diego’s hands flex, fingertips digging into his soft body. He wants Klaus so fucking much and it’s been so long since he’s been with anyone but his own hand. Klaus is so real above him, real and soft and warm and grinding down onto him, moaning softly.

 

“Klaus,” Diego pants, his head falling back against the back of the sofa heavily. It’s the only thing he can say, helpless against Klaus’ deft fingers undoing his jeans and settling over his cock in his boxers. He groans desperately, hips lifting up to meet his hand, and he can feel himself getting wet at the tip.

 

He’s distantly aware of Klaus spitting into his hand and drawing Diego’s cock out of his underwear, jerking him off wet and slick and perfect, the perfect balance between tight and fast until Diego thinks he might blow his load from this alone. Then Klaus is gathering his skirt up around his waist and moving to hover over Diego’s cock.

 

“Wait, wait.” Diego pants, even though it kills him to hesitate. “I need t–to prep you. Don’t want to hurt you.”

 

But Klaus just shakes his head and breathes hotly into Diego’ neck, sinking down further until Diego’s cock is buried inside him; Diego gasps and his hands fly to Klaus’ waist automatically, holding him still. If Klaus so much as moves right now he’s going to come embarrassingly quickly. He’s already stretched wide, and the thought of him fucking himself on his own fingers whilst Diego is at work is enough to have him hunching forward and letting out a gut punched groan.

 

“ _Fuck_ ,” he moans out, blinking up at Klaus to see his head thrown back - long, elegant throat exposed - and his eyes screwed shut. “Klaus.”

 

“Saves time,” Klaus gasps, hands scrabbling at Diego’s shoulders. “Sir never had time to prep me.” Diego brings a hand up to cradle the back of Klaus’ head and fucks his hips up hard, knocking the kid off balance, because the last thing he wants to talk about whilst his dick is inside the boy is Klaus’ abuser.

 

Klaus rides him fast and practised, one hand on Diego’s shoulder and one on the back of the sofa for balance. He’s letting out tiny, high pitched whining noises each time he falls back onto Diego’s cock, biting his bottom lip as though he’s trying and failing to be quiet. Klaus’ dick is hand under the skirt and when Diego’s hand nudges against it he yelps, falling forward suddenly in a way that has him grinding down on Diego’s dick. Diego’s feet slip against the floor and his chest heaves, slipping a little further down the sofa.

 

When Diego takes Klaus’ cock into his hand the kid keens, rocking forward harshly and fucking into the circle of Diego’s fist like he just can’t help himself. Diego goes with it, stroking him slow and careful to contrast with the way Klaus is fucking himself down; when his legs start to tremble around Diego’s hips he curls his other hand around Klaus’ waist. He’s so fucking tiny that Diego could practically wrap a single hand around entirely.

 

“What’s wrong?” Diego pants into Klaus’ neck when he looks up to see the kid’s face scrunched up into a pained expression. His hand slows on Klaus’ dick, but when he whines and thrusts jerkily into his grip he continues.

 

“I can’t— Sir, I cant hold on any longer.” For a second Diego is completely lost, wondering if the tight, wet heat around his cock is making him miss something obvious. It takes him a moment to realise that Klaus is waiting for permission - _his_ permission - to come.

 

“Fuck,” Diego hisses, rubbing his palm over the wet tip of Klaus’ cock and desperately trying to ignore the way this new revelation makes him thrust harder, faster. “Don’t, don’t hold on. Come, c’mon sweetheart.”

 

“Oh god, fuck, _Diego_!” Klaus cries, and comes with a cry, spilling between their bodies and all over Diego’s hand. Klaus’ face, screwed up again but this time overwhelmed with pleasure, combined with the way his name falling from Klaus’ lips sounds fucking sinful, pushed Diego over the edge. He comes with a raw cry, hips jerking upwards into Klaus’ warm, open body a few more times before he slumps, exhausted, against the back of the sofa.

 

With one final deep breath Klaus picks himself up gingerly and rolls off Diego’s lap; when it seems like he’s about to get up Diego reaches out clumsily and tugs on his arm until he comes back, too sleepy to do anything else. The sofa isn’t really big enough for the two of them to curl up together like this, but they make it work without either of them falling off thankfully.

 

“Sir?” Klaus says in a small voice. Diego can only hum in response. “I’m scared about tomorrow.”

 

Diego tenses. Tomorrow, right, the party. Time seems to have moved in increments, scarily fast in some places and draggingly slow in others; he’s not surprised Klaus is scared to go back into a room full of people who hurt him in the worst possible ways.

 

“I’ll be there.” Is all Diego can think to say, holding his hand tight. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.”

 

Klaus breathes, slow and steady, for a minute. Then, so quietly Diego almost doesn’t hear it, “You’re my favourite.”

 

His breath catches in his throat and inexplicably he feels tears gather in his eyes. Eudora was right - this was a huge fucking mistake - because when Klaus finds out the truth he’s going to realise just how shitty a person Diego actually is for doing this. For doing all of this. He’s not going to want anything to do with him ever again.

 

Diego pets Klaus’ hair until he falls asleep, and doesn’t say that he thinks Klaus might be his favourite too.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying to get these chapters out faster than James Charles is losing subs <3


	5. Chapter 5

So it turns out that Klaus takes a goddamn eternity to get ready. Diego is never actually around to see him get dressed - Klaus always crawls out of bed in the morning in boxers and one of Diego’s t-shirts, and when he gets back from work the boy is already dressed - so he never realised Klaus takes fucking ages. For some reason the thought just never occurred to him but he doesn’t know why; he supposes when how safe you are depends on how pretty you are it gets to be a habit.

 

He’s been in the bathroom for at least an hour: it’s going to take them at least forty minutes to get to the party and Diego only just hung up on Eudora. There’s going to be a team waiting outside - he’s going to have to wear a wire and hide his gun in his fucking underwear if necessary, but either way Alexander is going down tonight.

 

Either way, Klaus is going to find out the truth tonight, for better or for worse.

 

“Klaus?” Diego calls, rapping his knuckles on the bathroom door. The sound of running water cut off a while ago so he’s definitely out of the shower, and Diego tries not to think of him, naked and dripping wet. He fails.

 

“Hmm?” Klaus murmurs back, distracted. There’s the sound of the lock turning and a thin crack of light shines from the bathroom; the door creaks open and then Klaus is appearing, taking Diego’s breath away.

 

He’s dressed in a tight white t-shirt that cuts off just above his bellybutton, showing off his midriff and the faint trail of hair leading down to underneath the trousers he’s wearing: tight leather things that Diego only vaguely remembers buying for him, with lace up sides that make it clear he isn’t wearing any underwear. His eyes are smokey and lined again, blinking pretty and nervous as he seeks out approval from a, quite frankly, speechless Diego.

 

“Is this okay?” He asks, words tentative, and Diego finds it hard to believe he’s genuinely asking. If he was confident enough in himself to climb into Diego’s lap and ride his dick, how can he not know how incredibly beautiful he is right now?

 

“More than okay,” Diego tells him, smoothing a hand playfully over his carefully styled hair. “You’re gorgeous.”

 

Klaus smiles a secret smile, colour rising in his cheeks like he’s embarrassed from the compliment. He really does look gorgeous, and Diego hates that he has to ruin it.

 

“There’s just… one more thing.” Klaus blinks curiously. Diego’s heart sinks. “I’m sorry,” he says in advance. “I wish you didn’t have to, but everyone else— and when I met you…”

 

He trails off; the best way to do this, he decides, is to just get it over with. With a heavy feeling settling in his stomach he pulls the collar out of the rucksack by his feet, the leash wrapped around it security, and holds it out to Klaus. The kid has to wear it, but Diego really doesn’t want to be the one to put it on him. Maybe that’s selfish, but he really doesn’t think he could stomach it.

 

Klaus’ face, though, remains impassive and curious. He furrows his eyebrows at Diego like he’s still confused, like he still doesn’t get what the problem is. With a steady hand he reaches out and takes it, turning his back on Diego and lowering his neck in what Diego imagines a show of submission would be like.

 

“I was wondering when you’d put it on.” He says calmly, like he really doesn’t see the problem with it. He clearly doesn’t, as he secures it around his neck and glances over his shoulder at Diego to fasten the clasps for him.

 

“I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.” Diego admits, turning Klaus around by the shoulders and twirling his finger around a stray curl. Klaus levels him with an unreadable look that leaves Diego’s heart beating a little too fast in his chest. He holds out his hand for Klaus to take.

 

“Are you ready?” He asks.

 

“Yeah,” Klaus says.

 

***

 

The hall takes Diego's breath away— he hadn't made it here when he'd set out before, and he hadn't realised it would be so grand. He had been expecting some dilapidated old broken down building, but what he finds takes his breath away. With a high ceiling and a large, glittery chandelier hanging above, it really does look like a ballroom. If it weren't for the stage taking up almost a third of the floor and all the underdressed people walking about on leashes, Diego could almost imagine he was on a date with Klaus, taking him out dancing or something equally sappy.

 

Klaus is trembling next to him; it would be imperceptible if they weren't pressed up close together, shoulder to shoulder. He desperately wants to hold the boy’s hand instead of some lead, hide him in the crook of his neck, take him far, far away from this place and all of the people that would want to hurt him.

 

He can’t do that, of course. Eudora would kill him for messing up the investigation and Klaus is bound to find out the truth someday. As much as Diego wishes he could take Klaus and just… run, he can’t.

 

“Diego!” Eudora hisses into the earpiece. It startles Diego and he misses a step, arm flailing and yanking on the leash connected to Klaus’ collar accidentally. Klaus stumbles and lets out a confused, high pitched whine, looking at Diego through wide eyes. Diego relaxes his grip around it and cups Klaus’ cheek tenderly.

 

“Sorry,” He murmurs, apologetically, kissing Klaus’ mouth softly. “Sorry. Accident, I promise.”

 

Klaus nods, slipping his fingers down Diego’s sleeve slightly. Diego wants to cry, he’s so fucking cute.

 

“Sorry.” Eudora whispers, and he can hear the wince in her voice. She must pick up on Diego’s irritation. “My bad. I just wanted to tell you he’s— Alexander, he’s—”

 

“Ah, Mr Hargreeves.” Says an unfamiliar voice to his left. He spins around suddenly and comes face to face with a man who is, unmistakably, Alexander. “So glad to see you could make it. And you brought my favourite toy.”

 

He’s younger than Reginald, maybe forty, maybe forty five, with brown hair and cold, blue eyes. When he shifts his gaze to Klaus, Diego bristles; there are many things he will do to save this operation. Letting some asshole rapist feel Klaus up is not one of them.

 

“Glad I could make it.” Diego allows him a tight smile. “I must say it’s an honour to finally meet the leader of this whole operation. Everything is so… well organised, after all.”

 

“Ah, it’s my pleasure.” Alexander smiles, slow and dangerous in return, and that’s it. That’s all Diego had needed - a confirmation of guilt from the source on tape - and now he’s got it. All he has to do now is sit back and wait for Eudora’s team to come in. But then Alexander continues: “Of course I’d be nowhere without Reginald here, my second in command!” And the man who first gave Klaus to him is creeping up behind Alexander with a smug, self satisfied smile.

 

“Oh my god.” Eudora says, voice low and sounding, for the first time since Diego has known her, shocked. “Oh my god, Diego, holy _fuck_.”

 

Diego, who is having to control his facial expressions so as not to draw unwanted attention to himself, can only sigh and clench his jaw, wait for Eudora to get over whatever panic has overcome her and explain what the hell has her freaking out.

 

“That’s Reginald.” She says finally, and Diego has to suppress a frown because… he knows that. “No, Diego, that’s _Reginald_. That’s _Klaus_ ’ _father_. How the fuck is he alive?”

 

That’s what Diego is thinking as well, along with ‘he’s not going to be alive much longer’ because he’s honestly two seconds away for leaping on the man and beating the shit out of him. The asshole either bribed someone on the force to tamper with the papers or faked his own death - and, honestly, Diego wouldn’t put either past him - but that means he sold his own son into this whole mess, and that?

 

That is not okay.

 

Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on who would be doing the paperwork for Diego had he put a bullet in this guy’s brain, that’s when Eudora chooses to make an entrance. The two doors on either side of the hall are kicked inwards suddenly, echoing off the walls with a sound that cuts through the silence like a bullet, and then there are officers flooding in and surrounding everyone.

 

It’s chaos instantly. Reginald looks mildly terrified, like he’s not quite sure how he didn’t calculate for this exact situation, but Alexander just looks pissed off. When he looks back to Diego, his eyes are slits, venomous and dangerous.

 

“Diego?” Klaus whimpers next to him, clearly upset by the sudden noise and action. “We have to go. Diego, we’ve got to get out of here _now_.” When Diego doesn’t make any move to leave, Klaus tugs on the leash around his own neck so that it slips through Diego’s fingers a little: a desperate attempt at catching his attention. “They’re gonna arrest you, Diego, please!”

 

And, okay, he can maybe feel his heart cracking in two a little. Even now, even presented with the opportunity of freedom, Klaus’ first thought is to protect Diego. Alexander sneers.

 

“You never were the brightest spark, were you Klaus?” He spits, squaring his shoulders, a man preparing for defeat instead of a fight.

 

“Shut the fuck up.” Diego grunts, reaching a hand into his trouser leg. He’s been surprised it had been so easy to sneak a gun into the place, considering how anal they had been about security last time he’d seen them. “Don’t move.”

 

He turns to Klaus. The boy is looking between them, panicked, and Diego takes his face in his hands.

 

“Klaus,” He whispers, presses his lips to the boy’s mouth soft and gentle. “I’m sorry.”

 

Then he turns back to Alexander, gets his gun out in front of him and his finger on the trigger; Reginald looks a mixture of furious and disbelieving, but Alexander just looks angry. Klaus… well. Diego isn’t looking at Klaus right now but he can feel the look he’s levelled with: the confusion and betrayal and panic all rolled into one.

 

“Down on the ground.” Alexander lowers himself to his knees slowly, hatred seeping out of him like an aura. Diego hopes he understands, now, how it feels to be made to kneel.

 

“And all for a whore.” The man snickers, and although it’s humourless at best it still makes Diego’s blood boil. He’s raising a fist before he even knows he’s doing it, drawing his arm back and he’s so ready to just knock this bastard right the fuck out—

 

“Diego,” someone is saying, and then Eudora is by his side, gun raised protectively. She places a friendly hand on his elbow and lowers his arm back down to his side. “Take Klaus to the precinct.” She says pointedly. “I’ll deal with this.”

 

“But—” he tries to argue, because Alexander just made this personal.

 

“This isn’t optional, Diego.” She says, harsher now, and as soon as he nods and turns around he’s grateful to her. Klaus is stood alone, arms wrapped around himself, eyes darting all around the room. There are police officers everywhere making arrests, guiding captives out of the room with blankets around their shoulders, and in the midst of everything Klaus just looks terrified.

 

“Klaus,” Diego starts, and then stops, because there are a million things he wants to say and he has no idea how to say any of them. He lied, he tricked Klaus, he betrayed him. He can’t expect to be forgiven.

 

But then Klaus is turning to him with wide, baleful eyes. “Not tonight,” he begs, with wisdom far greater than what his youth might suggest. “Please, Diego, please just take me home?”

 

Diego has never been able to refuse him.

 

***

 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Diego whimpers as soon as they’re home, pawing at Klaus’ shoulders until the front door shuts behind them and Klaus’ back is pushed up against it. Diego surges forward to kiss him and Klaus meets him halfway, working in tandem; he slides his tongue into the boy’s mouth and fucks into his mouth roughly, desperate to taste him. He had thought for sure he was going to lose Klaus tonight, one way or another, and now the truth is out and he’s still here in Diego’s apartment, it almost feels too good to be true.

 

“I wanted to tell you,” he pants against Klaus’ skin, fingers scrabbling at the boy’s impractically tight leather trousers. “So many times. I didn’t want to lie to you, Klaus, please believe me.” He finally gets the trousers over Klaus’ ass and down to his knees, ankles, off his feet; he really wasn’t wearing any underwear. Klaus jumps, and Diego catches him.

 

With bare legs wrapped around Diego’s waist and Diego’s hands under his ass to keep him balanced, they make their way towards the bed; Klaus still looks like a wet dream, with long, smooth legs spread for Diego to settle in between them.

 

“I do,” Klaus tells him, but he’s crying all the same. “I believe you. Fuck, please, just…”

 

Diego fumbles for the lube, slicking his fingers up easy and quick before trailing his hand up Klaus’ thigh until his fingertips find the boy’s hole. Before, with Klaus, it had been fast and hard and desperate: now it’s just as desperate but Diego wants to draw it out, make this all about Klaus. If he has one more night with the kid then he wants to worship him.

 

Klaus lets out a satisfied sigh when Diego finally slides his fingers inside: two to start off with, because Klaus is already stretched and empty. He’s so responsive that when Diego crooks his fingers just so and finds his sweet spot he _moans_ , throws his head back and bats his long lashes.

 

“Wanna do something for you.” Diego pants, still thrusting lazily into Klaus. Diego has finger fucked plenty of his partners just for their pleasure, but he’s willing to bet Klaus has never been fingered just for the sole purpose of him getting off. “Anyone ever sucked you off before, sweetheart?”

 

Klaus shakes his head. Diego isn’t all that surprised, but it’s still exciting that he gets to be Klaus’ first something. He bends over to place a chaste kiss on the jut of Klaus’ hipbone, trailing wet, open mouthed kisses across his waist and then down towards his cock where it’s curved hard and dripping precome onto his stomach. He’s still wearing that ridiculously tight crop top and Diego can see his nipples, hard through the fabric.

 

“Just breathe, okay?” Diego instructs, remembering the embarrassment of his own first blowjob. Then he ducks down and, with two fingers still twisting and thrusting against Klaus’ prostate, takes the head of Klaus’ cock into his mouth. The boy jerks instantly, pleasure coming from two different places appearing to be too much for him. Diego suckles on the head for a minute or two, growing used to the taste and the feeling of a cock lying heavy on his tongue again; it’s been a while since he did this, and this isn’t just anyone he’s doing it to. This is Klaus: he wants it to be as it can be.

 

“Diego— Sir.” Klaus whimpers, blurring the lines between who they are, and Diego just sinks down and takes him farther into his mouth. The tip of Klaus’ cock slips down Diego’s throat and he swallows around him - Diego’s throat contracting around him sends vibrations up to his balls - at the same that he slips a third finger inside Klaus’ hole and presses all three hard against his prostate. The kid seized up suddenly and then comes like a slow release of pressure, spurting thick and warm over Diego’s tongue.

 

When Diego pulls off Klaus is boneless, with a dopey smile on his face and his eyes already slipping shut. Diego is hard in his jeans but tonight was never supposed to be about him, so he does his best to ignore the insistent way his dick is nudging up against the zipper of his jeans and curls up around Klaus protectively.

 

Tomorrow he’ll take Klaus into the station, see if he’s got any living relatives, try and help him get his life back. But for now, he just wants to stay here safe and warm and curled up together. He might never get the chance again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gotta go delete sweet home Alabama off my playlist :(


	6. Chapter 6

Diego wakes before Klaus, and takes a moment to watch him sleep. He’s beautiful like this, even though he’s not made up perfectly or wearing his nicest outfit. He’s beautiful because he’s honest - he’s not putting on a show, putting on a mask anymore - and vulnerable; right now Diego can see the side that he thinks no one else has ever gotten to see.

 

He’s still got kohl ringing his eyes, smudged down his cheeks and over the bridge of his nose from thetears and sweat of last night. Diego reaches over and, with the pad of his thumb, rubs softly back and forth over his cheek, his bottom lip, the spot just under his nose. His eyes flicker back and forth under his lid and his nose twitches a few times but otherwise he remains still and safe: asleep.

 

Diego wishes he could stay here forever, just watching the boy sleep. He wishes he could keep Klaus here with him and not let him out of his sight, keep him safe from the world and everyone in it who would ever want to harm him. But that would make him no better than the people who kept Klaus imprisoned, who acted like they owned him. Diego doesn’t own Klaus, and because of that he has to let him go.

 

He just wishes it didn’t have to be so soon.

 

He manages to slink out of bed without waking Klaus, and he makes it to the bathroom before he lets himself breath properly. He’s not looking forward to this conversation - Eudora had told him to take Klaus to the precinct. He had ignored her direct order and instead taken Klaus home, yet _another_ thing she explicitly told him not to do - but he has to make it.

 

Eudora picks up on the second ring and Diego imagines she’s been waiting lividly by the phone ever since she found out he’d never showed up at the precinct. He hears her heavy breathing on the other end of the line and can’t say anything for a minute as he squeezes his eyes shut, tries to think of an excuse to get himself out of this mess and can’t.

 

“Eudora,” He starts. “Let me explain.”

 

“Just bring him in.” Eudora sighs. She sounds stressed, and suddenly he’s absurdly grateful she didn’t call him in last night. He can’t imagine spending all night filling in paperwork for arrests, making late night cell transfers and trying to find the families of all the missing people they recovered would make for a good time. Eudora let him stay with Klaus, he realises, and for that he appreciates her more than ever.

 

“We’ve managed to get in contact with his adopted brother, Ben. He’ll be at the station in ten minutes. Reginald has been questioned and arrested - we’ve got the bastard for sure - but if Klaus could testify against him for both before and after he went missing that could really lengthen his sentence.”

 

“Ten minutes?” Diego repeats, stuck on the new knowledge of Klaus’ brother. “I don’t… he’s asleep right now.”

 

There’s a rustling on Eudora’s end, the hint of muffled conversation that Diego can’t quite make out, and then she comes back sounding even more stressed. “Just bring him in, Hargreeves. His brother just arrived, and he’s kind of making a fuss.”

 

She hangs up on him, and he stays in the bathroom for a few moments afterwards just listening to the dial tone and gearing himself up for a difficult conversation.

 

Klaus is awake when he walks back out again, sitting cross legged in the middle of the bed with the sheet up around his waist. He’s rubbing his eyes on the back of his hand and yawning, looking on the whole entirely unaffected by Diego’s revelation last night.

 

“Hey…” Diego starts cautiously, watching as Klaus blinks up at him and grins dopily. The boy holds out an arm and clutches at the air between them needily. “How are you feeling?”

 

Klaus shrugs and leans forward, getting onto his hands and knees and stretching like a cat until his back arches. When Diego sits gingerly on the edge of the bed Klaus crawls over to him and settles, head in his lap with Diego’s fingers scratching his scalp soothingly over and over again.

 

“Mmm, fine.” Klaus purrs, staring up at Diego with an inscrutable expression. Then, after a few seconds, “So you’re a cop?”

 

Diego swallows hard, fighting the urge to wring his hands. Instead he trails a hand over Klaus’ cheek and nods; Klaus is difficult to read right now and it’s worrying Diego. The boy should be bustling about in the kitchen or hogging the bathroom or watching TV with a perplexed expression on his face, not lying motionless, staring up at Diego with a blank face.

 

“Yeah,” Diego says, deciding at this point that there’s no use hiding anything. He’s already lied to Klaus so much, the least he can do now is tell him the truth. “I’m a cop. I’m sorry, I really didn’t want to lie to you or hurt you or— or anything. I just… we’d been trying to bring Alexander down for so long and Eudora said— not that that’s an excuse! I just… fuck, I’m really messing this up.”

 

“Kinda,” Klaus agrees, scrunching up his nose cutely. Diego snorts.

 

“What I’m trying to say is I’m sorry.”

 

“You said that last night.” Klaus points out, but he sounds less indifferent now and more… something else. Diego would say it almost sounds hopeful if it weren’t for the melancholy tone, the indication of sadness underlying his words.

 

“Not very well.” Diego replies. There’s a pause, a brief moment of silence filled with anticipation before he continues. “Klaus, you know we have to leave soon. You don’t have to testify if you don’t want to, but you have to make a statement. I’m sorry, sweetheart. I tried to put it off but Eudora - my boss - she wants you to come in. Now.”

 

“I know.” Klaus replies with a sad smile. As usual, though, Diego can’t leave things alone.

 

“Klaus, your father… Reginald—”

 

“He’s _not_ my father.” Klaus says sharply, instantly, the first sign of life he’s really shown since he woke up. When he sees the conflicted look on Diego’s face, though, he reaches up carefully and runs the backs of his fingers over the stubble on Diego’s jaw. “I’ll testify against him.” He says simply, as if by way of an apology for snapping. “I’ve always wanted him to get what’s coming to him.”

 

“Okay,” Diego just nods, bringing Klaus’ fingers to his mouth and kissing each knuckle.

 

“Does this mean I have to move out?” Klaus asks suddenly and, okay, maybe that’s why he’s upset. Diego has no idea if he’s been passed from house to house like something disposable or if he’s always been trapped with Alexander until he met Diego but either way, moving him again isn’t going to be good for his wellbeing.

 

But there’s no way he’ll be allowed to carry on living here.

 

So Diego sighs and stroked Klaus’ hair, the only comfort he can guarantee. “Your brother’s waiting for you at the precinct. Ben? He seems eager to see you. Wouldn’t you prefer to go live with him?”

 

Klaus’ eyes widen at the mention of his brother but he doesn’t move from Diego’s lap and he doesn’t look too enthusiastic at being asked to move out of Diego’s apartment. He hates that he can’t give the boy a choice about this - there has been so much in Klaus’ life that he hasn’t had a choice over - but it’s not Diego’s decision to make either.

 

“Klaus,” he breathes, all he can do in the end. “You’re my favourite too.”

 

***

 

Klaus’ brother is impossible to read. Klaus has been in Eudora’s office for half an hour whilst Diego has been sitting outside on the uncomfortable plastic chairs next to Ben feeling like a schoolboy waiting for chastisement. In all honesty he probably is - he doesn’t doubt Eudora will have a few choice things to complain about - but he also feels completely unequipped to talk to Ben. There’s an apology that’s been burning up in his throat ever since they first arrived at the precinct but he hasn’t been able to spit it out for fear of Ben getting livid with him. It would be well deserved, after all.

 

There’s a sudden sound from their right and both of them look up to see another one of the victims from last night’s case being led towards the exit, hunched over and crying with an officer’s arm around her shoulders. Ben inhales sharply, shock and disgust evident on his face, but all Diego can do is sigh. As much as he wishes he wasn’t, he’s familiar with these things.

 

“Thank you.” Ben says, out of the blue, and Diego almost falls off his chair.

 

“What?” He replies dumbly. “I mean… what for?”

 

“Saving my brother.” Ben tells him, face betraying nothing. “Detective Patch told me what you did. If it weren’t for you he could be dead right now. So thank you.”

 

Diego’s throat feels suspiciously tight. Ben shouldn’t be thanking him for anything, not after everything he’s done. “I’m sorry.” He gasps before he can choke on the words. “I’m sorry for not contacting you sooner. You could have known a whole week earlier and I— I took that away from you. I’m sorry.”

 

Ben frowns slightly and then sighs, leans back in his chair and stretches his legs out. He doesn’t look at Diego when he speaks. “That girl, the one that just walked past. She would still be captive if you hadn’t done things exactly the way that you did. All those people in return for one week… it was worth it.”

 

Diego nods, breathing through his nose; he’s not sure he quite believes what Ben said but he’s grateful that the man didn’t just yell him out on sight.

 

“Are you going to stop me from seeing Klaus?” He asks eventually, voice dull, because he’s fairly sure he knows the answer to this. There wouldn’t be any strict rules against Diego and Klaus staying in contact after the case is all over, but he doubts either of them will want to be reminded of the whole ordeal. If Diego was Ben, he’d move both of them into another state entirely to get away from everything.

 

“I’m not Klaus’ keeper.” Ben tells him, like it should be obvious. “I mean, don’t get me wrong. I’m not letting him out of my sight until he’s at least thirty. But if he wants to see you then it’s not my place to stop him.”

 

Diego sits back in stunned silence, feeling almost breathless with relief. He doesn’t want to let Klaus go - he would, in a heartbeat, if it was what the boy wanted - and until now he thought he would have to. But maybe, maybe, he can stay with Klaus for as long as he’s wanted.

 

“Thank you,” Diego says quietly, and Ben doesn’t get a chance to reply before the door to Eudora’s office is swinging open and she’s stepping out followed by a nervous but relieved looking Klaus. He stops short in the doorway, caught between Ben and Diego, before he shoots Diego a somewhat guilty look and gravitates towards his brother. Diego tries not to take it too harshly.

 

“Well,” Eudora says quickly, eyes flitting between the two of them. “We’ve got everything we need, I think. All you have to do now is come back to testify in court, Klaus, and then you never have to see us again.” She smiles, and then one look at Diego’s face has her hurrying to speak again. “I mean me! Um, you never have to see again. Right, well, I’m… going to leave now. Diego, see you inside, yeah?”

 

Diego nods, and he can see her visibly cringing as she walks away. Ben rolls his eyes, but he’s almost smirking. Diego doesn’t miss how he holds onto Klaus’ wrist ever so slightly, like he’s making sure his brother is actually there and this isn’t all just some cruel dream.

 

“Well,” Ben shrugs. “I’ll go get the car. Meet me outside, Klaus?” Klaus nods and Ben leaves with a meaningful look at Diego. Then they’re alone, and Diego can only fidget and think about all the things he’s no doubt going to be unable to say.

 

“I’ll— you’ll be okay, Klaus.” He finally gets out, smiling sadly at the boy. “You’re so strong. You got through all this: you’re going to be fine. Trust me.”

 

Klaus nods silently, looking from Diego’s face to the floor and back again. Diego, who can think of nothing else to say that isn’t either a declaration of love or a plea for Klaus to stay with him, starts to back away, but he’s stopped suddenly by Klaus’ hand around his arm.

 

“I want to go shopping.” He blurts out, and then shakes his head. “I mean, tomorrow. I want to go out shopping tomorrow. I want to decorate my room in Ben’s apartment and— and get more clothes, and so food so I can cook. Do you want to come with me?”

 

It almost sounds like a pre rehearsed speech - albeit one that went terribly wrong - but Diego couldn’t care less. Klaus is asking him to stay, and it’s everything he could have asked for.

 

“Yeah,” Diego says through his smile. “Yes, I mean, absolutely. Definitely.”

 

Klaus smiles shyly, looks down at his own feet again and takes an assured step closer to Diego, who can’t help but hold his breath. Klaus’ lips are soft against his own: just the slightest bit of pressure, the slightest bit of moisture. Diego’s hands gravitate, one to Klaus’ hip and the other to the back of his neck, tugging him in closer and deepening the kiss until Klaus lets out a soft moan and pulls away, panting. His pupils are blown wide and a string of saliva connects their mouths.

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow then, Diego.” He beams, walking backwards towards the exit, and then he’s turning and hurrying out before Diego can reply.

 

Okay, maybe it’s not perfect. Maybe Klaus isn’t living with him and they’ll no longer get to see each other every waking moment, and maybe Klaus is going to need a fuckload of therapy to get over everything that’s happened. But Diego is going to be with him every step of the way, supporting him and helping him and loving him for as long as Klaus wants him around.

 

They have a date tomorrow, he realises with an unstoppable sense of elation, and Diego can’t fucking wait.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cody Ko is a cyberbully pass it on
> 
> <3

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think! <3


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